The Presidium of the Moscow City Court overturned the verdict against the senior operational officer of the MIA at Vnukovo Airport, Vladimir Minyaev, who had been sentenced to a term in a penal colony for abuse of power.

The law enforcer is known for having solved a high-profile case about theft of passengers’ luggage by the airport employees. However, after that the court sentenced him to three years for the use of violence and psychological pressure on the complaint of one of the thieves.

Despite this, after Minyaev’s case was returned to the first instance court for review, it decided to release the policeman from custody. The officer’s lawyer Anton Malinsky said that tonight his client will be at home.

It is to be recalled that the police captain revealed a well-thought scheme of theft of passengers’ luggage in 2016. He was offered bribes for stopping the investigation, and then even received threats. About two hundred people were persons of interest in the case, 50 of which were prosecuted. In the criminal conspiracy, luggage handlers, workers of search, registration and aviation security zones were involved.

One of the handlers, agreeing to cooperate with the investigation, later said that Minyaev exerted pressure on him and even applied physical force, although he could not provide evidence of the injuries received.

Despite this, two years after the case was solved, the court sent the policeman to the colony, and the handler was returned the stolen money.